Model: NETGEAR N450 (CG3000Dv2) N450 WiFi Cable Modem Router
Firmware: V3.01.06
OS: Windows 7
Enviroment: Single Modem, no router, direct wired connection
My n450 was working fine for a couple months but this past week it started having problems. Once an hour, every hour, on the dot within a few seconds the N450 will disconnect for about 5 seconds then reconnect. I can precisely predict when it will disconnect before it disconnects and like clockwork the N450 will disconnect. I am not running this on a wireless connection, I have no cable splitters, no router, just a direct connection from the modem to the PC. I have checked the cables from my computer to the modem and the cable from the modem to the wall, and even the crawl space behind the wall leading to the outside cable box, all cables are in perfect condition.
I did some research and people are claiming that the issue is a 1 DHCP hour lease and that sounds EXACTLY like the problem I am having. I searched the N450 N450 CG3000Dv2 User Manual and on page 69 the instructions for modifying the DHCP state:
-------------------------------------
Reserve an IP Address for DHCP UseTo reserve an IP address for DHCP use, enter the DHCP server reservation settings for the
private LAN under DHCP Reservation Lease Info in the LAN IP screen.
To reserve an IP address for DHCP:
A login screen displays.
2.Enter the modem router user name and password.
The default user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive.
The modem router main menu displays.
3.In the main menu, under Advanced, select LAN IP.
The LAN IP screen displays.
4.In the DHCP Reservation Lease Info section, enter the MAC address of the computer for
which you want to reserve an IP address.
5.Enter the permanent IP address for the computer.
6.Click the Add button
-----------------------------------
But literally on the third step these instructions stop working. There is no LAN IP button or link anywhere in the Advanced options. There are many threads on this issue for this specific modem with people claiming they are constantly getting disconnected. A common remedy people have suggested is to perform a factory reset so I did just that, but that also did not fix my problem.
Here is a collection of threads that people posted with similar issues that I am having to hopefully prove this is not an isolated incident. Getting disconnected like this is incredibly frustrating as a gamer. Many of the games I play are senstive to disconnects and punish the player. For grandma browsing facebook a 1 hour DHCP timer would never be noticed. For me it's incredibly painful because not only do I get interupted once an hour, I have to sit out for 20-30 minutes to wait for the DHCP timer to expire before getting commited in a ranked match.
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Cable-Modems-Routers/N450-disconnects-every-hour/td-p/1025699
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Cable-Modems-Routers/N450-WiFi-keeps-disconnecting/td-p/978900
https://community.netgear.com/t5/General-WiFi-Routers/DHCP-Lease-Length/td-p/466827
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-WiFi-Routers/Why-is-there-no-DHCP-Lease-settings-on-a-200...
Please do not suggest returning the product, it's just insulting because I spent like 100$ to fix my internet problems by purchasing the n450, returning the product would mean 1 week+ with no internet and another 100$+ for another modem. Again I want to repeat what is so frustrating about this issue is that this router was working fine for months, and only a few days ago does this DHCP issue manifest.
